The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-12-24

In the current number of the NOrth
American Review William Hosea BalIou
discusses the question, Are the L'wer
Animals Approaching Maui" Consider.
ing the remarkable advance In the ment.l
evolution of the lower animals, he sub
n'its the following propositions:
First-That many species If lover an
finals Of to-day possesses higher men,
tality than prinneval mao and that some
species are endo~ed with higher men.
t.lity to day than the lower class of men
of to-day.
Second That the mental differences of
man Ind the lower species are to some
extent the result Of training. experience
and tenacity of life.
Third-That .he mental future of the
lower animal may become more equsIized
with that of man that method Of cnu
versing with lower animals is possible.
Taking for granted the story related
by Herodotus VERIFIED by LIE PIangeon,
the arch geological expIorer) that the
priests of~2gypt told him of the miyrx
tons, of the Egyptians from the East to
the Nile country 10000 years before their
time, the author finds $4,000 years Of
mysterious silence Of the lower animals
that must lie charged to man. He says
In all that time no lower animal has
risen TO tell his story and confront the
human race with its annual havoc Of
bu'chery, persecution and cruelty. In
the awful silence which ever confrouts him
the ST. Bernard ticks the hand of a Nas-
ter, groveing in the densest Of Alpine
ignorance in comparison with his own
mssterful Intelligence; and the elephant,
with brain endowed with visible knowl-
edge, kneels 10 the circus to an ignorant
and contemptuons clown; aud the horse.
with the wonderful aud highly sensitive
intelligence of a Maud s, is beaten lie
fore cart of coal by man shaped brute,
who can neither write his name nor men.
ton the common dcccncics Of life. This
is merely an intimation of the mentality
of the lower order animal If we were
to briefly grade animals according to
their mentality we would, perhaps, have
q table as follows: Lowest species men.
tality-Low and ignorant mankind, all
origines, insects and many lowest ami
mails. Next highesi-Trained lower an
finals and pests and some domesticated
animals. Highest-Educated man.
HIGHER MENTALITY THAN PRIMEvAL NAN.
IN discussing the first proposition the
author measures the truthfulness Of the
knowledge possessed by the lower animal
as compared with rrimcval man. He
contends that the child of to-day is pos
scssed Of higher intelligence than Ar
istotIe. and thar the dog that carries ones
mail, does errands, etc, possesses higher
INTEL yence than the aborigincs whose
judgement was ever blasted by the super
natural, and who lived like wild beasts.
He illustrates his belief in the higher
mentality of the dumb animal by numer-
Gus anecdotes which show cOnclusively
that any lower animal having knowledge
and possessed 10y certain classes Of men
is more learned in that respect. This
gives rise TO "a question as To the extent
Of the intelligence Of the lower animals.
The writer SAYS:
We must concede in the light of mod
ern times that the term instinct is no
more applicable to the lower animal than
to man. since j, implies actun without
the aid Of reason. Any training lower
animal acquires, or any knowledge or ex
perience, is just as much learning in his
case as IT is in the man who has to he
similarly trained or experienced. Tie
turkey and some other animals which
have become domesticated, according tn
Judge John ID. Cation, revert to their wild
state when set free Arctic explorers and
sailors when deprived Of food and The
convenicnces Of civilization often revert
to aboriginal cnnnibalism and the lowest
form Of existence; and, beyond doubt.
If they continual Ia be deprived of such
convenienccs their descendants would he
as wild, dirty, savage and ignorant as the
African pigmy. These facts show simply
that instinct is as dominant in the human
race as among the lowest animals, and
manifests itself under like circumstances.
The opposite must then be true, in part,
that the knowledge which is above and
relieved from instinct. is partially rs dom
inant 10 the lower animal as in man.
TRAINING, EXPERIENCE AND TENAcIrY OF
The extent Of the knowledge of lower
animals must be measured by speciic
instances. Prof =. ional men often lave
cats which acquire knowledge Of their
professions. Some photographers have
cats that are learned in most of the mi.
nutia of the gallery. Sir John Lubbock
is highly educating his dog. The circus
shows innumerable highly educated and
trained animals. Continuing, Mr.. Bal
lou aays:
Ic l,aA Il